Old Cemetery, Crosserlough, Roman Catholic

This ancient graveyard surrounds the site of the pre-Reformation parish church of Crosserlough; the present magnificent parish church is in the immediate vicinity. The history and antiquities of this parish have been detailed in the last issue of this Journal (vol. III. No. I, pp. 9-86). The inscriptions are very numerous, and are expressed in 'many instances in the quaint phraseology of the 18th century. Owing to the loss of the 18th century parochial Registers (which, unfortunately, perished in a fire about fifty years ago), and also the more recent destruction of our Census Returns and Public Records, we must regard these inscriptions as the sole remaining source from which the history of the various 18th century Crosserlough families may now be traced. This enhances their interest and value to the genealogist. Some examples of the old style of computation will be observed, e.g.,-10 ber = December ; the Gregorian Calendar was not legally introduced into this country until 1752, but the new Calendar seems to have been adopted by the people before it obtained legal sanction.

[ Philip O’Connell, Breifny Antiquarian Society Journal, V. 3, No. 2, p. 289-303, 1929-30]